Conjuring: Being a Definitive Account of the Venerable Arts of Sorcery, Prestidigitation, Wizardry, Deception, and Chicanery and of the Mountebanks and

Randi, James

ISBN 10: 0312086342 / ISBN 13: 9780312086343

Published by St Martins Pr, 1992

About this Item

Dispatched, from the UK, within 48 hours of ordering. Though second-hand, the book is still in very good shape. Minimal signs of usage may include very minor creasing on the cover or on the spine.

Seller Inventory # CHL10777926

Bibliographic Details

• Title: Conjuring: Being a Definitive Account of the Venerable Arts of Sorcery, Prestidigitation, Wizardry, Deception, and Chicanery and of the Mountebanks and
• Publisher: St Martins Pr
• Publication Date: 1992
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0312086342
• ISBN 13: 9780312086343
• Binding: hardcover
• Condition: Used; Very Good

About this title

Synopsis

A history of magic by one of its most renowned contemporary practitioners debunks the fraudulent "physics" and "healers," while discussing the exploits of some of the most notorious magicians in history. By the author of Flim-Flam.

Reviews

Drawing on histories, documents and his own contacts, "The Amazing Randy," a magician also known for his work unmasking fraudulent psychics, here provides a broad but ultimately unsatisfying history of magic and its performers. Beginning with tales of Egypt and India, Randi discusses such ancient tricks as the Cups & Balls routine and the role of machines like the automaton. He traces the careers of performers "Chung Ling Soo" (an early 20th-century conjurer who was not in fact Chinese but a disguised American), the famous Blackstone and Houdini. While the many illustrations (75 in color, 115 in black-and-white) are entertaining--especially those of old posters advertising performances--the book becomes tedious as it degenerates into a collection of brief profiles of relatively obscure performers. Worse, Randi's decision not to reveal how any of the tricks were done is frustrating, given his otherwise detailed descriptions of the life and work of conjurers.
Copyright 1992 Reed Business Information, Inc.